Aerial navigator.



R. C. GORE. AERIAL NAVIGATOR. APPLICATION FILED 11110.29, 1908.

Patented Dec. 2o, 1910.

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Q/vitweomo R. C. GORE. AERIAL NAVIGATOR. APPLICATION FILED 1130.29,1908.

979,286. Patented DQo.20,-1910.

'fn u In II R Inventos R. C. GORE. AERIAL NAVIGATOR. APPLICATION FILEDDB0. 29. 190s.

979,286, v Patented Dec. 20,1910.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

R. C. GORE. AERIAL NAVIGATOR.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

` 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

. R. C. GORE.

AERIAL NAVIGATOR. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 29, 1908.

979,286. Patented Dec. 2O, 1910.

\ 5 Simms-SHEET 54 UNITED STATES ROSCOE C. GOREQOF TECUMSEH, NEBRASKA.

AERIAL NAVIGATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application' filed December 29, 1968. Serial No. 469,870.

l To all Iwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Roscon C. GORE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Tecumseh, in the county ofJohnson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Aerial Navigatore, of which the following is aspecification. y My invention .relates to improvements in aerialnavigators, and it consists in the constructions, combinations andarrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved aerial navigatorconstructed to operate on the principle of a birds iight, and toautomatically act as a parachute upon accident or failure of itsoperating parts. l

further object of my invention is to provide an aerial navigatorin whichbeating planes are operated 'in groups disposed symmetrically to thecenter of gravity of the navigator, for maintaining a continuous liftingforce; thereby'avoiding the difficulties incident to the use of alongstarting track in previous constructions.

A further object of my invention is to provide an aerial navigatorconstructed to ride on an even keel, and tomaintain its equilibriumunder all conditions of air currents.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a I part of this application andin which similar reference numerals indicate corresponding. parts in theseveral views: Figure l'is a front elevation, illustrating oneembodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of theconstruction; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the construction; Fig. 4 is afragmentary side view 'ofi one lof the beating planes with the shuttersin .open position; Fig. 5"is a front view of one of the shutters; Fig.`6 is a detail view, partly in section, showing a preferred connectionbetween the side and end frame members of one of the beating planes;Fig. 7 is a detail plan View, showing a preferred means for rotatablysecuring the tie., rods in position; Fig. 8 is a side elevationy of oneof the beating vplanes with the swinging shutters in closed position,and Fig. 9 is a plan view ofthe beating 'plane'shown in Fig. 8. f

l Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the side uprights of a frame,connectedby two y upper and two lower longitudinal side members 2 heldin parallel'spaced relation and by transverse top members 3 and basemembers 4; said several frame members being preferably .formed of angleiron to provide a maximum rigidity with a minimum of weight. The basemembers carry a suitable -flopring, or support, for amotor andreservo1rs for supplying a motive fluid thereto.

. Thusfwhere steam is employed as the motive power, a fuel-oil tank 5and an internal combustion boiler 6 can be advantageously used; while,with an explosive engine, such tank 5 and boiler 6 can be replacedv by acarbureter and suitable oil reservoir.

I have )shown the Vmotor comprising a multicylinder engine; the severalcylinders \of which are arranged along the central line f of thesupporting-base, with their\fpistons (connected by rods 7 to a common"crank" shaft 8. \Thisprovides avery advantageous construction, in whichthe equilibrium and balance of forces will'be maintained should aportion of the motor cylinders become inoperative through accident.

End brackets 9 are secured to the engine cylinders, and provided withlegs 10 att-ached to the' frame base for clamping the reservolrs 1npositlon; said brackets being provided with bearings 11 for the crankshaft 8, and bearings 12 for the lower ends of the vertically disposedslide bars 13. The upper ends of the slidebars 13 are slidably mountedinguides 14 on the top frame members 3, and said.bars are provided withcross-heads 15,. Disk cranks 16 and 17 are connect-ed by connecting rods18 and 19 to the adjacent slide bars for reciprocating thel latter intheir bearings 12 and 14; the rear disk crank being provided with spurteeth meshing with a pinion 20 secured to a horizontal propeller shaft21. The shaft 21 is provided with a` suitable disengaging device, suchas a friction clutch v22, andcarries one or more propellers 23.

A suitable series of pivotally secured beatcured... along each side ofthe navigator frame, and provided with means for operating them ingroups of substantially-'equal 105 center of gravity of-the'navigator.lI have lifting power disposed symmetrically to the 16o"- ing planes 24,25. and 26 are pivotally se-v portion to their lifting power, or thework vside members V34, to which they are rotaweight. 1f desired, theswing shutters could rock linls 27 are pivotally secured at 28 to theends of the cross heads 15 and connected by bars 29 to the side edges ofthe medial planes 25. Rock levers 30 are fulcrumed at 3l on the sideuprights of the frame, and hav@ their inner ends pivotally secured tothe main levers 27 at 32. The free ends of said levers 30 are connectedby hangers 33 to the adjacent side edges of the front and rear beatingplanes 24 and 26.

From the above description, it will be seen that the front and rearbeating planes are operatively connected at only one edge, while themedial planes of greater lifting power are operatively connected by thelinks 29 at both edges; thereby distributing the operating force to theseveral planes 1n prodeveloped thereby. Each beating wing is shownprovided with a rectangular frame comprising truss side members 34pivoted at 35 and constructed to provide a uniform strength and rigiditythroughout their length, and end members 36 and 37 which preferablyconstitute tubes secured to said side members.

A series of tie rods 38 extend between the tably secured by ball-bearingconnections 39, as shown especially in Fig. 5; the space between theseveral tie rods of theseries increasing toward the outer, or free, edgeof the beating plane. A swing shutter 40 is secured to each of therotatable tie rods, and constructed of sufficient width to underlap thenext succeeding tie rod of the series when swung to closed position;thereby providing a series of independent swing shutters which increasein width toward the outer end of the beating plane. Each shutter can beadvantageously formed of suitable fabric, braced by a light rigid frameof nickelaluminum alloy 41 strengthened by cross braces 42 the number ofsuchf` cross braces being shown increasing toward the outer en'd of theplane. lThe side frame members 34 of 4the beating frames carry stop pins43 and buffers 44 in position to engage the frames 41 of the shuttersfor limiting the swing to open position of the latter. The main frameand the side members of the beating planes can be formed of angle iron,but preferably of angle bars of `suitable aluminum alloy to provide amaximum rigidity and strength with a minimum be formed of thin sheets ofsuch alloy. As the lifting power of a beating plane depends on itssurface area 'and velocity of move\ ment, the medial plane of myconstruction requires an area lessl than seven-tenths of the combined.areas of the front and rear planes; thereby enabling an equalization ofthe lifting powers of the several groups of planes without necessitatingexcessively large plane areas.

ln the operation of my invention, the clutch 22 is disengaged and themotor started to oppositely operate the groups of beating planes. Duringupward swing of the planes, the shutters 40 will swing freely 'to theiropen position, thereby minimizing resistance to the air; while, duringdownswing of the planes, the shutters will be closed by the air pressureto form a continuous close surface for providing a maximum liftingpower. It will be noted that the beating planes are -slightly concavedon their lower faces to prevent too free escape and insure an etlicientcushioning of the air therebeneath. After the beating planes havereached a sutlicient velocity to overcome the weight of the navigator,the latter will rise from the ground and continue to ascend as 'long assuch velocity of the planes is maintained; the height of the navigatorduring iiight being accurately regulated by varying the velocity of thebeating planes. Forward movement of the navigator is obtained byengaging the clutch 22 to drive the propeller, or propellers, 23, andvertical rudders 45 may be pivotally secured to the rear frame uprightsl for laterally guiding the navigators flight.

I have illustrated al preferred construction in which the severalbeating planes are pivoted on parallel axes, but it will be obvious thatsaid axes could be inclined upwardly toward the rear for causing thenavigator to be driven forward by a component of the lifting force ofthe beating planes.

1 have illustrated al preferred and satisfactory construction, butchanges could be made within the spirit and scope of my invention.

vBy increasing the spacing between the tie rods toward the outer or freevedge of the meeting planes, two important objects are attained of valuein the construction ofy aero structures of this nature, One consists inthe factthat the elliciency of the action of the shutters is increased,by reason of the fact that owing to the lesser movement of the wingadjacent its pivotal point a large shutter might notv be brought intoperfect closed position during the stroke of the wing, when a smallshutter, because of the lesser would be so operated; wlliile owing tothe longer stroke of the youter portion of the operated thereat. Afurther object attained is the lightening of the wing tbward its outerextremity, by the reduction in the number of cross rods utilized at apoint where each lessening of the'weight results wing a larger shuttermay very readily be i las.

in al much greater reduction in the amount of'power needed for theoperation of the device. i

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent is: l

l. In an aerial navigator', the combination of beating planes, eachplane comprising a pivotally supported rectangular frame, a series ofrotatably secured tie rods extending across said frame parallel to thefree edge of the latter', the spaces between said tie`rods graduallYincreasing toward the free edge of said frame, shutters secured to saidrotatable tie rods and constructed to underlap the next succeeding tierod of the series when swung to closed position, and means For operatingsaid beating planes, substani'ally as described.

2. The combination in a device of the character described, of arectangular frame including two upper bars held in parallel spacedrelation, a motor carried by lsaid frame, vertically disposed slide barscarried by said frame and actuated by said motor, a horizontal shaftcarried by said frame and actuated by said motor, a propeller secured tothe rear end of said shaft, a plurality of curved horizontally disposed`beatingiplanes pivotally secured to said upper bars, com-f prising twooppositely positioned medial beating planes andtwo front and two rearplanes, said medial planes having a lifting power equal to that of saidfront and rear planes, a cross head carried by said slide bars, a rocklink secured to each end of said cross head, a connecting bar extendingfrom the upper end of each rock link and secured -to said medial planes,rock levers carried by said frame and secured to the lower ends of saidrock links, and hangers extending from said front and rear beatingplanes and se.

cured to thefouter ends of said rock levers.

y 3. An aerial navigator, the combination of beating planes, each planecomprising a pivotally supported frame, shutters movably securedV tosaidsupported frame/the,

' ROSCOE C. GORE. Witnesses: a

L. D. SPENCE,=, 1f. W. FORNEFELT.

